Valve or bulb for flush tanks



April 16, 1935. HEATH 1,997,728

VALVE OR BULB FOR FLUSH TANKS Filed Sept. 13, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1April 16, 1935. F. M. HEATH 1,997,728

VALVE OR BULB FOR FLUSH TANKS Filed Sept 15, 1934 2 Sheets- Sheet 2arfiflMHeaZh Patented Apr. 16, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I r I1,997,728

VALVE on ILB FOB. FLUSH TANKS V Frank M. Heath, Silver Spring, Md. Aplicatio Se e 13, 3% e l 743 86 87 Claims. (G1. l56) The device describedand claimed is an outlet Fig. 1, viewed at right angles to the showingof valve or bulb of the kind used on the flush tanks Fig. 1, parts beingbroken away, and parts being of water closets. r in section, the viewbeing taken, to some extent};

The invention aim to provide a m a imn e l e o i 5 parting rotation tothe valve r bulb, during i ea b tt m plan f t ev e t d i 5 descenttoward the valve seat, as the level ofthe Fig. l; V, water drops. Fig.{l is a bottom plan showing a modification There are several reasons whythe valve should in the invention; rotate, asv aforesaid, Among thosereasons are Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4,

th following: r most of the bulb or valve being left in eleval0 1. Tocreate avortex in the water the tank, tion; which will aid in a properseating of the valve. Fig. {3 is a fragmental sectional view showing 2.To cause the valve to wipe itself and the a modification; seat tree fromslim andtlie l k as th valve 1 e eee en aken t ht angles to the comesintoco te t vv-ith't seat- 7 u in P 31 1 i 6; 15; .3. To eliminatenoise. Fig. 8 a vsectional view showing a further 4. To k p the v lve orb b sc ewed t m fi a i n; hreaded uidin rcdwhiehi a sem l d w h h F g 9is a ec on of th structure hown i top of the valve. 7 8, the cuttingplane in Fig. 9 being at right erned, itwili not d to h ve he va v be Fis e Side el v e ow another to rotate so soon as {the level of the waterin modification oi the invention, parts being broken the flush begins todrop, and to have the away, and being shown in section; valve cen uetere ate unt th valve se t F eelli be temp n e h ele d n a d Stated :mor"b oadly it Wi l-n e v' h e mile 0 2 5 the ve ve eiete o teelon a e is S.F s- 2 is a i elevatien w n a fu her: because, if the valve begins torotatetoo long bemodification, parts being broken away, and parts ore iteats th eve of th em at t e top o appea n in eetien: the valve maystrike the trip wire which raises Fig. 13 is a side elevation showing apartner to so far as obieets ,1 12 an 3, a ve a e .eene eleet the u t -pan e- 8; .9

th va ve, e pe ially its a i f en h ease the edi ee enim b n br aw andrt .0

trip doe n hens ex t ve t a w a ari i s tio bling piotion being impartedto the valve and Referring to the form shown in Figs. 1, 2and3,

thereby some of .the objects hereinbefore set forth the numeral .4 marksa valve or bulb, generally will be defeated. EI'he device embodiesstrucmade of rubber, adapted to heat for a time, and 35, tural teatureswhereby the valve is pl'everlted then toseat in the flush tank of awater closet.

from rotating for too long a time before it seats. At 2 thereappears-the usual guiding stem. The

It is withinathe province of the disclosure to stem 2 is detachably.connected with the valve I improve generally and to enhance the utilityof by threads 3 on the stem, the threads engaging devices of that typeto which the invention apthe valve. There is an opening 4 in the bottompertains. of the valve -I.

With the aboveandotherobjects in view, which The invention comprises arotator, denoted will appear as the description proceeds, theingenerally by the numeral 5. The rotator 5 may vention resides in thecombination and arrangebe made pf metal or any other suitable substancemer t of parts and in the details of construction having thenecessarystrength and rigidity. The

475 hereinafter described and claimed, it being unrotator ,5 includes acentral body e. :Anydesired derstood that changes inthe preciseembodiment number of oppositely-disposed blades -1 project of [theiinventionherein disclosed, may be made outwardly from the edge of .the.body .6. The within the scope of what is claimed, without deblades {Iare inclined longitudinally, away from parting ,iro m the spirit of theinvention. the valve J, as Fig. 1 will show. 'Ij'ne pitch of Intheaccompanying-drawings: the blades 1 is .opposite to the threads .3 ofthe 50 Fig. 1 shows, inside elevation, a device constern 2, whereby whenthe valve l is rotated, by structed int-acc a c W v he v o artstheimpeller 5, ashereinaf ter described, thefvalve heingbrokenaway, andparts being shown in; secwill not be threaded off the stem 2. tion? 3 JQQ 21- -.-9 ent 5 seeds afifi s lll 117116 Fig.2 isan elevation of:thedevice shown in lower surface-pf the valve 1. 'Ifhebqdy 5 of fl e 55rotator 5 is provided with an opening 8, communicating with the insideof the hollow valve I. The body 6 of the rotator 5 is supplied with arms9, which extend upwardly and outwardly through the opening 4 in thebottom of the valve I. In the edges of the arms 9 there are notches orseats Ill. The valve I, about the opening 8, is engaged in the seats I0.All that is required, in order to assemble the rotator 5 with the valveI, is to push the arms 9 upwardly through the opening 4 in the bottom ofthe valve, whereupon the lower part of the valve will engage in theseats II! in the arms 9 resiliently, thereby holding the rotator 5 inplace on the valve I.

The diameter of the rotator 5 is greater than its height. The valve I,therefore, does not begin to rotate so soon as the level of the water inthe flush tank begins to drop. This is a desirable feature, because ifthe valve I starts to rotate so soon as the level of the water in theflush tank begins to drop, the valve will be rotated for too long aperiod. If the valve I is rotated for too long a period, the valve, dueto possible interference between the stem of the valve and the liftingwire, as hereinbefore explained, will begin to wabble, and thus defeatsome of the objects of the invention. In the device shown, the valve Idoes not start to rotate so soon as the level of the water begins tofall. Water runs out for a considerable period of time before the valvebegins to rotate, but, ultimately, the rotator 5 reaches the place wherethe water flows through the restricted area represented by the crosssection of the outlet pipe, and then the momentum of the outwardlyflowing water brings the rotator into action and causes the valve torotate.

The construction is such that a vortex is created in the water in theflush tank, and by the operation of the vortex the valve I is centeredand is caused to seat accurately. The valve I, because it is rotated,wipes the valve seat clean of slime and the like, and the valve itselfis kept clean. Noise is reduced or eliminated as the valve I seats. Thevalve I is threaded the more tightly on the stem 2, as the valverotates, and is not unscrewed from the stem I, due to the rotation ofthe valve.

In Figs. 4 and 5, parts hereinbefore described have been designated bynumerals previously used, with the suflix a. In this form, the opening8a in the body So of the rotator 5a may be rectangular. The materialfreed in the forming of the opening 8a is turned outwardly to formfingers II, which engage the outer surface of the valve I and aid inholding the rotator 5 in place in the valve.

In Figs. 6 and 7, parts hereinbefore described have been designated bynumerals previously used, with the suflix b. In this form of theinvention, the fingers II of Fig. 4 are replaced by a cross piece I 2,engaging the outside of the valve II). A tubular retainer I4 extendsthrough an opening I5 in the intermediate portion oi the cross piece I2,the retainer being threaded into the central body 61) of the rotator 5b.The retainer I4 has a flange I6 on its outer end, and this flangeengages the cross piece I2. The edge of the valve lb, about the opening4b, is clamped between the arms 91) and'the cross piece I2, when theretainer I4 is threaded into the body 6b of the rotator 5b. In Figs 6and '7, the opening 8 of Fig. 1 is replaced in function by the bore I!of the retainer I4.

In the form shown in Figs. 8 and 9, parts hereinbefore described havebeen designated by numerals previously used, with the suflix c. In Figs.8 and 9, the cross piece I2c is disposed inside the valve Ic, whereasthe cross piece I2 of Figs 6 and 7 is disposed outside of the valve Ib.In Figs 8 and 9, the arms 9c of the body 6c of the rotator 5c engage theoutside of the valve Ic. The retainer I4c passes through the body 60 ofthe rotator 5c and is threaded into the intermediate portion of thecross piece I20, the flange I6c of the retainer I4c engaging the body 6cof the rotator.

In Figs. 10 and 11, parts hereinbefore described have been designatedbynumerals previously used, with the suillx d. The description of thisform of the invention may be shortened somewhat, because many parts areshown in my Patent No. 1,975,421 issued on October 2, 1934. In thebottom of the valve Id is mounted a float I8, adding buoyant stabilityto the valve, and generally made of cork. The numeral I9 marks a metalstem, assembled with the float I8 and depending therefrom. The partsmentioned are shown broadly in my patent above alluded to.

In the present invention, the stem I9 has a point 20 which enables thestem to enter the float I8 readily. The stem I9 has threads 2I adaptedto engage the float I8. Where the threads 2I stop, a. shoulder 22 isformed. In its lower end, the stem I9 is provided with a screw driverkerf 23, by which the pointed end of the stem may be mounted readily inthe float I8.

The rotator 5d is in the form of a full disk, as shown in Fig. 11, andhas a short central neck 24. Before the threaded end of the stem I9 isengaged with the float I8, the rotator 5d is threaded down on the stemI9 until the neck 24 of the rotator is engaged with the shoulder 22 onthe stem. Then the stem is threaded into the float I8, and the body 8d01' the rotator 5d comes into abutment with the lower end of the floatI8. The upper edges of the blades Id of the rotator 5d dig into thelower end of the float I8, when the rotator 5d and the stem I9 arerotated, to assemble the stem with the float, and, thus, the rotator 5dis prevented positively from turning with respect to the float I8, inaddition to the frictional hold which the rotator has on the lower endof the float. The float I8 is fixed in the valve Id.

In Fig. 12, parts hereinbefore described have been designated bynumerals previously used, with the suflix e". In this form of theinvention, the rotator 5e is formed integrally with the body Ie, therotator being connected to the body by a short neck 26, in which theopening 8e is located.

In Fig. 13, parts hereinbefore described have been designated bynumerals previously used, with the suflix f. This form of the inventionis constructed like the form shown in Fig. 12, aside from the fact thatthe opening 8} is located in the lower part of the valve If, rather thanin the neck 26, as shown in Fig. 12.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a device for use in the flush tanks of water closets and the like,a bouyant valve and a propeller-like valve-rotator carried by the lowerend of the valve, the valve rotator being exposed to the liquid in thetank and being of such dimensions as to impart rotation to the valvefrom the outfiowing liquid, the rotator constituting the sole means forimparting rotation to the valve.

2. In a device for use in the flush tanks of water closets and the like,a bouyant valve and a propeller-like valve-rotator carried by the lowerend of the valve, the rotator being located close to the lower end ofthe valve, the diameter of the rotator being greater than its height,whereby the valve will float for a time, without rotation, as the liquidleaves the tank, and

then rotate, when the valve has been lowered.

enough so that the rotator is subject to the outflowing liquid.

3. A rotator for the outlet valves of the flush tanks of water closetsand the like, comprising a central body provided with peripheral,transversely inclined blades, and means associated with the body forholding the rotator on the lower end of an outlet valve, said meansbeing exposed to the liquid in the tank and being of such dimensions asto impart rotation to the valve from the outflowing liquid, said meansconstituting the sole mechanism for imparting rotation to the valve.

4. A rotator for the outlet valves of the flush tanks of water closetsand the like, comprising a central body provided with peripheral,transversely inclined blades, and means associated with the body forholding the rotator on the lower end of an outlet valve, said meanscomprising outwardly extended arms on the body.

5. A rotator for the outlet valves of the flush tanks of water closetsand the like, comprising a central body provided with peripheral,transversely inclined blades, and means associated with the body forholding the rotator on the lower end of an outlet valve, said meanscomprising outwardly extended arms on the body,

the arms being provided in their edges with seats for engagement withthe valve.

6. A rotator for the outlet valves of the flush tanks of water closetsand the like, comprising a central body provided with peripheral,transversely inclined blades, and means associated with the body forholding the rotator on the lower end of an outlet valve, said meanscomprising outwardly extended arms on the body, a cross piece, and aretainer connecting the body with the cross piece, the retainerconstitut- -ing means for binding a portion of an outlet valve betweenthearms and the cross piece.

7. A rotator for the outlet valves of the flush tanks of water closetsand the like, comprising a central body provided with peripheral,transversely inclined blades, and means assembled with the body forholding the rotator on the lower end of an outlet valve, said meansembodying cooperating members, one of which is fixed with respect to therotator, and the other of which is movable with respect to the rotatorand means for binding said members together to cause them to grip thewall of an outlet valve between them.

8. A device of the class described, constructed as set forth in claim 1,and further characterized by the fact that the valve-rotator and thelower end of the valve are connected together in one piece and made ofthe same material whereby neither of the parts specified will work thedeterioration of the other by individual corrosion.

FRANK M. HEATH.

